This invention relates to a quick-changeover blood handling apparatus, and in particular to an apparatus for handling a patient's blood for one medical application which is convertible for use in a second application.
There are instances where one blood handling device would be used for a patient during a medical procedure, and another blood handling or collecting device would be needed for post-procedure care. For example, in the case of heart surgery, a blood reservoir is used as part of the blood recovery and oxygenation system. After the procedure, a separate autotransfusion reservoir might be used to collect the patient's blood from the surgical wound for re-use, and/or another reservoir might simply be used to collect blood drained from the surgical wound for disposal.
Several "convertible" devices are available that can be used both as a blood reservoir during surgery and a pleural drainage unit after surgery. These devices provide several advantages: they eliminate the need for dedicated pleural drainage devices; they minimize the amount of disposable equipment that is used (and must be disposed of); they are more economical; and they reduce staff time associated with setting up multiple devices. Moreover, many of these devices allow for autotransfusion of the collected blood, reducing risk to the patient and reducing the demand for blood products.
However, to varying degrees these devices have also suffered from one significant draw-back: the conversion of these devices from use as a surgical blood reservoir to a drainage unit or to an autotransfusion device is time consuming and complex. Many of these devices come with pages of detailed instructions that the nursing staff is expected to follow to properly disconnect and cap the numerous connectors required for use as a surgical blood reservoir. Some of these devices even require special kits, with further instructions and additional parts that must be set aside and later installed, to make the conversion. This increases the pressure on the nursing staff to quickly and accurately make the conversion. Furthermore, each tube connection that must be undone and capped increases the chance of blood splattering the medical staff, with the attendant risk of spreading disease, such as hepatitis and AIDS.
The inventor's prior, and U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,149,318 and 5,284,080 disclose apparatus for handling a patient's blood during a medical procedure which can be quickly and easily converted for use in blood collection after the procedure. These apparatus eliminate most of the detailed disconnecting and capping steps required by the previously available convertible apparatus by providing an apparatus with a port means and connection blocks that can simply be removed after use in one mode and replaced by new connection blocks specially adapted for use in the new mode. The blocks are mounted in mounting means on the apparatus, and conversion is simply a matter of sliding the proper connection block into its operative position.
As disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,254,080, blocks for different purposes can be separately provided on seal trays. The seal tray seals the block until it is installed on the apparatus. The seal tray can be aligned with the mounting means so that the block can be moved from the seal tray into the mounting means and into alignment with the port means. When the block is no longer needed, it can be returned to its seal tray, which seals the block preventing leakage and contamination. The mounting means preferably comprises a pair of tracks between which the blocks are mounted. The tracks are preferably open at one end to permit installation of blocks from seal trays.
These apparatus can be used during a first medical procedure, and can be quickly and conveniently converted for a second medical procedure. Connections are made to a first block so that the apparatus can be used during the first medical procedure. After the .procedure, rather than making numerous disconnections, capping connectors, and closing valves, the first block is moved from its operative position, and may even be removed from the apparatus. A second block, specially adapted for the second procedure is then moved into operative position. All of the parts needed for the conversion are provided on the apparatus, and conversion is simply a matter of changing the blocks.